Giant flames lit up the night sky in Tripoli.<br /><br />After struggling to control the blaze at Libya’s largest fuel storage facility, shrapnel from rival militias fighting nearby struck a second tank and firefighters were forced to withdraw.<br /><br />The national oil company now says the fire is out of control and could cause a humanitarian and environmental disaster, and evacuations have begun.<br /><br />A call for international assistance remains unanswered as the country descends into chaos, with militia groups vying for power.<br /><br />Western governments are closing embassies and pulling their nationals out, as battles between rival factions continue to rage at the main air terminal in the capital.<br /><br />Two weeks of clashes has left around 160 people dead in Tripoli and eastern Benghazi.<br /><br />Just three years on from the fall of Colonel Gaddafi, the government has warned of a possible break-up of the country if fighting continues.
